Moonlight, mist and thick tropical air permeate the landscape of “La León,” a sumptuous film about the swirling of desire in the Paraná Delta. This lush labyrinth of Argentine waterways is fertile ground for a movie in thrall to the pellucid spectacles of nature — but a rather barren place to find yourself yearning for erotic connection.
Doubly so if you happen to be gay. “La León” tells of an isolated soul named Álvaro (Jorge Román) who ekes out a simple living as a farmer and fisherman while casting complicated looks at El Turu (Daniel Valenzuela), the gruff, studly pilot of a water taxi.
Written and directed by Santiago Otheguy, “La León” sheathes its rather straightforward tale of trouble in paradise in a dreamlike membrane of beauty and strangeness. Photographed by Paula Grandio in rich black-and-white high-definition video, the movie unfolds with lolling, hypnotic rhythms that do more to seduce the mind than the narrative itself.
The model here would appear to be “Los Muertos,” a beguiling 2004 film by the Argentine director Lisandro Alonso, which likewise pondered mysteries of desire in the depths of rural Argentina. Mr. Otheguy’s vision isn’t on a par with that unsettling fable — not much is — but in the prosaic context of gay cinema, “La León” unfolds like poetry.
LA LEóN
Opens on Friday in Manhattan.
Written and directed by Santiago Otheguy; director of photography, Paula Grandio; edited by Sebastián Sepúlveda and Valeria Otheguy; music by Vincent Artaud; production designer, Sergio Rud; produced by Juan Solanas, Pablo Salomón, Alexis Vonarb, Aton Soumache, Pierre Rambaldi and Catherine Barra; released by Music Box Films. At Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, Greenwich Village. In Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. This film is not rated.
WITH: Jorge Román (Álvaro), Daniel Valenzuela (El Turu), José Muñoz (Iribarren) and Daniel Sosa (Gadea Padre).
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